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Livestock Updates 2008

Management options to improve weaner sheep survival

Media release : 13th June 2008

Research by the Co-operative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation is providing producers with simple options to greatly improve the survival of weaner sheep.

As part of the Department of Agriculture and Food’s Agribusiness Livestock Updates in July, the Sheep CRC’s Angus Campbell will outline steps farmers can take to reduce post-weaning mortality in their sheep flocks.

The CRC will use its research results to develop a ‘weaner mortality matrix’ to form the basis for a decision-support tool for farmers.

Dr Campbell said a generally accepted target for post-weaning mortality was about four per cent in the year after weaning.

“Research indicates that mortality over the first year of post-weaning is strongly associated to bodyweight and average growth rate,” he said

“Producers need to look at management options to cost-effectively and efficiently reduce weaner sheep mortality such as drafting off the lightweight tail of weaners for differential management and feeding.

“Results show that the lightest 20 per cent of weaners at weaning were three and half times more likely to die than weaners from the middle 20 per cent of weaning weights, regardless of the average weight of the mob in any one year.

“This clearly shows that the lightweight tail of the weaner flock should be drafted off at weaning for differential management.”

Dr Campbell said many farmers did already draft off the tail of the weaner flock sometime over summer but, since weaning weight was so strongly associated with mortality risk, the sooner this was done the better.

“Increasing the weaning weight of the lightest fifth of weaners could also eliminate up to 71 per cent of deaths among this group and 31 per cent of deaths across the entire weaner flock,” he said.

“Increasing the weight of just one fifth of the flock could address nearly one third of all mortalities.”

Dr Campbell said small amounts of targeted supplementary feeding, especially over summer, to modestly increase bodyweight and average growth rates, was also likely to improve survival rates.

“Increasing weaning weight up to about 22 kg (or to 45 per cent of their adult weight) reduced the risk of weaners dying,” he said.

“For example, increasing weaning weight from 8 kg to 10 kg or 18 kg to 20 kg reduced the risk of death throughout the whole first year after weaning by about 38 per cent and 29 per cent respectively. “

More information on options for improving weaner sheep survival and other sheep management information will be available at Agribusiness Livestock Updates on July 1 and 2.

The conference is being held at the University of Western Australia Club and is supported by Australia Wool Innovation.

Dr Angus Campbell is heading up research looking at providing producers with simple options to greatly improve the survival of weaner sheep.

Media Contacts

Dr Angus Campbell, University of Melbourne,	(03) 9731 2225 or 0439 748605
Katrina Bonser/Lisa Bertram, media liaison	9368 3937/9368 3325